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XMYENTION A^I) 

ILLUSTRATED PROCESS OF MAKINC 







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MAYER. .MIilU,T-;i.snTT.\U.\.V LITHOGRAPHERS 
2.> .12 I CHURCH ST. .\T.W yoRX . 



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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by 

JOHN FOLEY, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 







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To those engaged in mercantile pursuits, any invention that will facilitate their 
labors, is highly worthy of notice as well as extensive patronage. One of the most 
important inventions of the present age, is that of a pen that possesses the neces- 
sary qualities of fineness in mark and durability in use. 

Pre-eminently such are those of JOHN FOLEY, Manufacturer of fine Gold 
Pens and Pencils. Their superior value is tested by the long time he has been 
engaged in our city in their manufacture. We, the subscribers, who know the 
value of Foley's Pens from constant use of them for a number of years, cheerfully 
recommend them to those who wish for the best and most perfect Gold Pen 
ever made. 

Signed by the following leading Merchants and Bankers of New York City, 
and over one thousand others : 



John E. WrLLiAMB, Pres't Metropolitan Nat'l Bank. 
Geo. I. Seney, Cashier Metropolitan Nat'l Bank. 
Geo. J. McGourkey, Teller Met. National Bank. 
R. W. Swan, Teller Metropolitan National Bank. 
J. C. Smith, Gen'l Book-keeper, Met. Nat'l Bank. 
A. K. Thompson, Discount Clerk, Met. Nat'l Bank 
S. M. Baldwin, Note Teller, Met. National Bank. 
Geo. S. Coe, Pres't American Exchange Nat'l Bank. 

E. Wilson, Cashier Amer. Exchange Nat'l Bank. 
T. W. Pinkney, Paying Teller, Amer. Exchange 

National Bank. 
Robert Bayles, President Market National Bank. 
John A. Parker, Cashier Phoenix National Bank. 
J. A . Beardsley, Cashier Nat'l Bank of N. America. 
Wm. A. Falls, Pres't Corn Exchange Nat'l Bank. 
R. H. Lowry, Pres't Nat'l Bank of the Republic. 
H. W. Ford, Cashier Nat'l Bank of the Republic. 

F. D. Tappan,- President Gallatin National Bank. 
C. F. Timpson, Cashier Continental National Bank. 
Isaac G. Ogden, Cashier N. Y. County Nat'l Bank. 
Wm. L. Jenkins, President Bank of America. 

L. H. Don vldson, Teller Bank of America. 

R. B. Ferris, Cashier Bank of New Tork. 

J. W. Lewis, Cashier Union National Bank. 

F. M. Harris, President Nassau National Bank. 

Wm. H. Cox, Cashier Mechanics' National Bank. 

Jambs Buell, President Importers and Traders' 

National Bank. 
J. M. Crane, Cashier Shoe and Leather Nat'l Bank. 
J. W. B. Dobler, Cashier Sixth National Bank. 
John T. Hill, President Ninth National Bank. 
Clark, Dodge & Co. 
White, Morris & Co. 



Vermllye & Co. 
Winslow, Lanier & Co. 
Geo. D. Arthur & Co. . 
H. T. Morgan & Co. 
Jewel, Harrison & Co. 

C. Dennis, Vice-President Atlantic Mutual Ins. Co. 
J. H. Chapman, Secretay Atlantic Mutual Ins. Co. 

D. D. Smith, Pres't Commercial Mutual Ins. Co. 
Henry D. King, Sec'y Commercial Mutual Ins. Co. 
J. P. Paulson, Pres't Sun Mutual Insurance Co. 

E. Walter, President Mercantile Mutual Ins. Co. 
C. J. Despard, Sec'y Mercantile Mutual Ins. Co. 
Thos. Hale, Sec'y Pacific Mutual Insurance Co. 
Wm. Elsworth, President Montauk Fire Ins. Co. 
John W. Cheeny, Sec y La Fayette Fire Ins. Co. 
A. F. Willmarth, Vice-President Home Fire In- 
surance Co. 

Morris Franklin, Pres't New York Life Ins. Co. 

Wm. H. Beers, Actuary New York Life Ins. Co. 

Wm. K. Ackerman, Sec'y Illinois Central R. R. Co. 

American Express Co. 

Adams Express Co. 

Wells, Butterfleld & Co. 

Wells, Fargo & Co. 

United States Express Co. 

Barclay & Livingston. 

New York Daily " Times." 

A. Gordon, Cashier New York Herald. 

T. Ketcham & Co. 

S. B. Chittenden. 

Johnson & Higgins. 

Moody & Telfair. 

McKillop, Sprague & Co. 



6 



The Commercial Agency, McKillop, Sprague & Co., 
New York, December, 1866. 

For the information of merchants and others throughout the country, who 
may have occasion to transact business with Mr. John Foley, Gold Pen 
Manufacturer, we would state that we have known him personally for nearly 
twenty years ; during all this time he has been engaged in the Gold Pen Trade in 
this city. His pens are extremely popular in this market. By his industry 
and perseverance he has become most successful. He has the confidence and 
esteem of the leading bankers and merchants of New York ; his character for 
responsibility and honorable dealing is beyond question. 

McKILLOP, SPRAGUE & CO. 



American Institute. 




GOLD AND SILVER 



MEDALS 




DIPLOMAS. 

JOHN FOLEY, 

HAS RECEIVED MORE MEDALS, DIPLOMAS, 



AND 



PUBLIC TESTIMONIALS 

FOR THE 

Best Gold Pens and Pencils 

THAN THAT OF ANY OTHER MANUFACTURER. 



EXHIBITION OF THE INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS. 



GOLD MEDAL. 



SILVER MEDAL. 




ESTABLISHED 
1848. 

THE OLDEST 

GOLD PEN 

n o tj s :e 

IN 

AMERICA. 




8 





. PEN ';! 

IIIK'ew yor! 
n° a'™ 

187S : ill| 








FOLEY'S BANK' GOLD PENS N°'s7TO 12 -fe . 



No. 1 Gold Pen, long nib ". each, $0 75 



" 3 and 4 Gold Pen, long nib. . . 
" 5 and 6 " "... 

" 7, 8 and 9 Gold Pen, long nib. 
" 10, " " . 



1 25 

1 50 

2 00 

3 00 

4 00 



No. 11 and 12 Gold Pen, long nib each, $4 50 

" 18 Barrel Pen " 3 50 

" 14 " " 4 50 

" 16 " " 6 00 

" 16, 17, 18 and 19, long nib " 5 00 

" 20, each $6, No. 21 " 8 50 



No. 1 is the smallest and No. 21 the largest Long nib Pen made. 



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FOLEY'S 
INSURANCE HEN 
NEW YORK. N° \i'<i. 



FOLEY'S 

EDITORIAL REN 

NEW YORK. N» I7. l 2. 







FOLEYS 

BOOKKEEPERS PEN 

-JEWTORK NJ 18 'a . 



FOLEY'S 
PROFESSIONAL PEN 

. NEW YORK N' L9J£ 



ii Nil. 



nil hall' No 



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Do_l_d P jda^ £3 , 




FOR EXTRA FINE: WW 




No. 5i and 6} Gold Pen, short nib each, $2 00 I No. 23}, Short nibs each, $3 50 



74, 84 and 94 Gold Pen, short nib. 
104 

114 and 12i 

16|, 174, 184 and 194, short nibs. . 
224 " . . 



3 00 

4 00 

4 50 

5 00 
2 50 



244 

22 Long nibs. 

23 

24 

25 



4 50 

2 50 

3 50 

4 50 
2 00 



No. 54 is the smallest and No. 194 is the largest Short nibs made. All Short nib Pens are half Nos. 



10 




GOLD PENS, WITH EBONY GOLD-PLATED DESK HOLDERS. 



No. 1 Gold Pen and Holder each, $1 00 

" 2 " ■' " 1 75 

" 3 and 4 Gold Pen and Holder " 2 00 

" 5 to6i " " " 2 50 



No. 7 to 9i Gold Pen and Holder each, $3 75 

" 10 and 10i Gold Pen and Holder '• 5 00 

" 11 and 11J " " " 5 go 



II 







GOLD PENS, WITH EBONY GOLD-PLATED DESK HOLDERS. 



No. 12 and 12^ Gold Pen and Holder each, $5 50 

" 13 Gold Barrel Pen and Holder " 3 50 

.. 14 ■• •< " " 4 50 

■' 15 " •' " " 6 00 



No. 16 to 19| Gold Pen and Holder each, 46 00 

" 20 Gold Pen and Holder " 7 50 

"81 " " " 10 00 



10 per cent, discount if you purchase half dozen or more 




FOLEY'S CELEBRATED "BANK" GOLD PENS, WITH GOLD-PLATED HOLDERS. 



No. 9-J- Gold Pen and Holder; short nibs each, $3 75 

" 10* " " " .... " 5 00 

" 11+ & 12i Gold Pen & Holder, short nibs, " 5 50 



No. 7, 8 & 9 Gold Pen & Holder, long nibs, .each, $3 75 
" 10 Gold Pen and Holder, " . . " 5 00 

" 11 & 12 Gold Pen & Holder, " . . " 5 so 



10 per cent, discount if you purchase half dozen or upwards of any goods in this book. 




BROAD POINTS AND DESK HOLDERS, INDELIBLE INK PEN AND HOLDER, SHORT NIBS. 

N'o. 22 and 22^ Gold Pen and Holder each, $3 00 I No. 25 Gold Pen and Holder each. $2 75 

" 23and23| " " " 4 50 " 5i and 6| Gold Pen and Holder " 2 75 

" 24and24£ " " " 5 50 I " 1$ and 8* •• ■ " 375 

Nos. 22, 23 and 24 Pens will fit any No. 5, 7 and 10 Holder or Case. 



14 




GOLD PENS, WITH GOLD-PLATED SLIDE HOLDERS. 

No. 1 Gold Pen and Slide Holder each, $1 50 | No. 7 to 9| Gold Pen and Slide Holder. 

"2 2 00 " 10 and -10* Gold Pen and Slide Holder. 

2 50 " 11 to 124 

3 25 " 16 to 19* " " 



3 and 4 Gold Pen and Slide Holder. . . 
5 to 61 



each, 


$4 50 


" 


6 00 


" 


6 50 


" 


7 00 






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GOLD PENS, WITH GOLD-PLATED REVERSE HOLDER. 

No. 2, Gold Pen and Reverse Holder each, $2 00 No. 5 to 6£ Gold Pen and Reverse Holder, .each, $8 25 

" 3 and 4 Gold Pen and Reverse Holder.. " 2 50 | " 7 to 94 " " .. " 4 50 



10 per cent, discount to shippers or others who will purchase half dozen or more articles. 



16 




GOLD PENS, WITH GOLD-PLATED TELESCOPE HOLDERS. 

No. 3 and 4 Pen and Telescope Holder each, $2 75 No. 10 and 10J Pen and Telescope Holder, .each, $G 00 

" 5to6£ " " " 3 50; " 11 to 12} " " " 6 50 

" 7 to 94 " " 4 50 1 " 16 to 191 " " " 7 00 

10 per cent, discount if yon purchase half dozen or more of the above or any goods in this book. 



'7 



1 




GOLD PENS, AND GOLD-PLATED TELESCOPE CASES WITH PENCIL 

No. 3 and 4 Pen and Telescope Case each, $4 00 I No. 7 to 9j Pen and Telescope Case each, $6 00 

'• 5to6£ " " " 5 00 | " 22, 23 and 24 will fit all No. 5, 7 and 10 Holders. 



All half numbers are short-nib pens, and like in size and price to long nibs without the half number — fitting 

into all the same cases and holders. 



£':'^ 



*m 




GOLD PENS, WITH SILVER EXTENSION CASE. 

No. 1 Pen and Silver Extension Case each, $1 50 No. 5 to 6£ Pen and Silver Extension Case, each, $3 50 

•< 2 « " " ...... " 2 00 | " 7to9i " " " " 5 00 

" 3 and 4 Pen and Siver Extension Case, " 3 00 | " 10 and 10£ " "6 00 

10 per cent, discount by the half dozen or upwards. " 11 to 19-J " "7 00 

10 per cent, discount if you purchase a half dozen or upwards. 



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' 







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GOLD PENS, WITH SILVER SCREW EXTENSION PENCIL CASE. 

No. 1 Pen and Silver Screw Case each, $2 50 No. 5, 5^, 6, & 6J Pen & Silver Screw Case, each, $4 50 

"2 " " " " 2 75 " 22 and 22| " " " " 5 00 

■' 3&4 " " " " 4 00 

* 

10 per cent, discount on all purchases of half dozen and upwards. 



20 




GOLD PENS, WITH GOLD-PLATED PEARL HOLDERS. 

No. 1 Hold Pen and Pearl Holder and Box, each, $3 00 ! No. 5 to 6i Gold Pen & Pearl Holder & Box, each, $5 00 
" 2 " " " " 3 50 j " 7 to 9* " " •■ " ' 6 00 

' 3&4 " " " 4 50 i Slide and Desk, Pearl, same price. 



21 




GOLD PENS, WITH SOLID GOLD HOLDERS (Ebony). 



No. 1 Pen and fine solid gold Holder and Box. 
" 2 " " " " . 

'• 3 & 4 Pen and " " " . 

" 5 to 6A Pen and " " " . 



$3 00 i No. 7 to 9i Pen and gold Holder and Box $7 50 

4 00 j " 10 and 10i Pen and " " 9 00 

5 00 " 11 to 194 Pen and " '• 10 00 

5 75 ! Three patterns — plain, engraved, engine-turned. 



Pearl Handles, No. 1 to 9i, instead of above, ebony, $1 50 each extra. 



10 per cent, discount if you purchase a half dozen or upwards. 



9> 



FINE SOLID GOLD GOODS. 




FINE GOLD SCREW TOOTH-PICKS. 




FINE GOLD SCREW TOOTH AND EAR PICKS. 




Bp aaEffln 



FINE GOLD SLIDE TOOTH-PICKS. 



,;-^4W 



• - -■:'■■; :-■-;:"" : "■■■■. 




FINE GOLD SCREW PENCILS. 



No. 2 Gold Screw Pick each, $4 00 

" 3 '-' '• engraved " 6 00 

" 4, 5 and 7 Pick and Ear Spoon : . . " 6 00 

" 6 " " engraved, " 7 00 

" 9 " " " 8 00 



"10 " " " 


" . 1 50 


" 11 " " ■•' 


" 2 00 


" 1 and 3 Gold Screw Pencil 

"2 " " 


" 5 00 
6 t)0 


" 4 engraved .... 


" 7 00 



FINE SOLID GOLD GOODS (16 karat). 



!.\ 







FOLEY'S SOLID CO 











\"i; 



FINE SOLID GOLD SCREW CASES, WITH PEN AND PENCIL. 




S 100 



" 1 

" 2 

" 2 

" 3&4 

" 3&4 



FINE SOLID GOLD SCREW PEN AND PENCIL CASES, WITH DIAMOND HEADS. 

se and Pen 

" engraved. . . . 

" engraved. . . . 

engraved. . . . 



ach, $10 50 


Xo. 5 to 6i Gold Case and Pen 


.each, $23 00 


12 50 


5 to 6i engraved. . 


. " 25 00 


12 50 


' 1, with Diamond Head, " 


. " 75 00 


14 50 


" 2, " 


. " 85 00 


16 00 


" 3, " 


. " 100 00 


18 00 


<• 4 ( ■< 


. " 100 00 



Including neat Morocco Box. 



24 



FINE SOLID (16 karat) GOLD MAGIC PENCILS. 















No. 1 & 2 Plain & Engine turned each, $7 50 

<< ;j " " engraved.. " 8 50 

" 4&5 " " " 10 00 

<< g ■■• " engraved " 12 00 



No. 7 & 8 Plain & Engine turned each, $10 00 

" 9 " " engraved " 14 00 

"10&11 " " " 16 00 

" 12 " " engraved " 18 00 



FINE SOLID (16 karat) GOLD MAGIC PENCILS 





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QlZ-fS SOLID GOLD N° 2 0. 



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No. 13 & 14 Plain & Engine turned .each, !f20 00 

" 15 " " engraved " 22 00 

" 16&1? " " " 14 00 

" 18 " " engraved " 18 00 



No. 19 & ao Plain & Engine turned each, $20 00 

" 21&23 " " engraved " 23 00 

"22 " 22 00 

'24 " engraved ' 25 00 



»6 



GOLD GOODS. 




GOLD EXTENSION PEN AND PENCIL CASE. 




GOLD SCREW CASE, LARGE HEAD. 




S 25. 




GOLD DOUBLE SLIDE PEN AND PENCIL CASE, LARGE HEAD. 



$ 20 





GOLD TELESCOPE PEN AND PENCIL CASES. 




$ 3 




GOLD SLIDE PENCILS. 



J 4 



GOLD MOUNTED PEARL GOODS. 





| 51 ) 





BSMB 

GOLD MOUNTED PEARL MAGIC PENCILS. 



GOLD MOUNTED IVORY TOOTH PICK. 



GOLD MOUNTED IVORV TOOTH AND EAR PICK. 



8 I so 






11. 




GOLD MOUNTED PEARL PEN AND PENCIL CASE. 



PEARL TOOTH AND EAR PICK. 



$ 5. 



4 



PEARL TOOTH PICK. 



28 



GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER GOODS (18 karat). 







m 



&. ^ 6 




$ 7-1° 



$ 8. 



GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER SCREW PENCIL AND PEN CASES. 




GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER TELESCOPE HOLDERS. 




,P-3 TTo.3. 




GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER TELESCOPE PEN AND PENCIL CASES. 



29 



GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER GOODS. 




GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER MAGIC PEN AND PENCIL CASES. 



N.> l 




$ 6. 





$ 7 50 








— fik ■ if'iri^rpffrnirffni?i' 



*' 7so 



GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER REVERSE PEN AND PENCIL CASES. 
10 per cent, discount on all purchases of half dozen and upwards. 



80 



GOLD, RUBBER AND IVORY GOODS. 




GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER MAGIC PENCILS. 




S 4. 



GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER SCREW PENCILS. 




i 4 1 4 



GOLD MOUNTED RUBBER TOOTH PICKS. 




GOLD MOUNTED IVORY SCREW PENCILS. 




GOLD MOUNTED IVORY MAGIC PENCILS. 



No. 1 Rubber Magic Pencil, ea. $2 50 
" 2 " " " " 3 00 

" 3 " " " " 3 50 

"1 " Screw Pencil, " 2 50 

" 2 " " " " 3 00 



No. 3 Rubber Screw Pencil, ea. $4 00 
" 1 " " Pick " '3 00 

" 2, 3&4 " " " 4 00 

" 1 Ivory Magic Pencil, " 2 50 

" 2 " " " 3 00 



No. 3 Ivory Magic Pencil, ea. $3 50 
" 4 " Dotted " " 4 00 
" 1 " Screw " " 2 00 
" 2 " '* " « 2 50 

10 per cent, discount by the half doz. 



GOLD PLATED MAGIC AND OTHER PENCILS. 



',1 







61 to G4 $ 1 ; _° Each 






.■.■.::■.■.-.;:•■■: v.w. v.v, w.v>ew/u.'<y.v. :w.*.v. ;:. 

mSMMSf- . . . 



GS 






firtnTmawftiiMlii 



tab 






ENAMELED SCREW PENCILS. 



75 c. 





iriW- ritpT^M^',- r i-*¥ ^33^ 




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FOLEY'S SUPERIOR GOLD PENS. 




No. 4 Pen and Pearl Holder and Box each, $4. 50 No. 7 Bank Pen Holder and Box each, $4. 25 

No. 17 Editorial Pen and Holder and Box each, $6.50 

Long Morocco Boxes, like above, to fit any size Pen and Holder each, 50 cents. 



33 




FOR WEDDING, BIRTHDAY OR HOLIDAY PRESENTS. 

No. 4 Ladies' Pen with fine Solid Gold and Pearl Holder each, $ 6 50 

" 1 " " Engraved Case and Pencil " 12 50 

" 25 Indelible Ink Pen and Holder for marking clothing " 2 50 

$21 50 

Handsome Morocco Silk, Velvet and Satin lined Boxes, like above, fitted up suitable for ladies' or gentle- 
men, with any three articles that you may select ; if amount is $20 there will be no charge for the Box, other- 
wise add $2 for value of Box 10 per cent, off by the half dozen. 



34 



F FOLEY'S BAN K PE N N E W YORK 




♦> N ! 7 " B A NK " P e n and Ho to e r $ 3:75 Each IM 



£«_»- 



All Foley's Gold Pens are put up in neat trays like this one, free of charge, and marked with the New 
York market selling prices. To save trouble to dealers, twelve trays of this size assorted (some for pens only? 
and some for pencils) will just fit into a three foot show case. 




Three feet, Black Walnut, Bevel Front, Show Cases, Lettered in Gold, $12.50 each. 
Will hold an assortment of $200 to $1,000 worth. 

SAME SIZE SILVER PLATED SS IK TO 4 25 




No. 10.—" Bank" Pen. Holder and Box. $5.00. 
Morocco Boxes like this, to hold any size Pen and Holder, 25 to 50 cents each. 




■ r | i 







. „ ^ w^. ^ -. ^_ w^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ - ■ . 



No. 5.— FINE SOLID GOLD, ENGRAVED, PENCIL AND PEN CASE, WITH PEN... each, $25.00 
Gold Pen and Pencil Cases or Gold Pencils, put up in neat Morocco Boxes like this, without extra charge. 



S6 




Foley's Improved Pen and Pencil Cases and Pencils of every kind put up in neat trays like this, without 

charge for trays. 

A large stock of the newest style Pencil and Pen Cases always on hand. 



■ Hhai &4h, * fc ia3 






■■illft hi H iTluM ifttf 



JOHN FOLEY. MANUrACT R 



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" mm fj|f ^ 



Ejh 




•No. 5— FOLEY'S SOLID GOLD PENS each, $2.00. 10 per cent, off hy the half dozen. 

Foley's Celebrated Gold Pens put up in neat trays or boxes like this for Dealers without extra charge. 



TO STATIONERS, JEWELERS AND BOOKSELLERS. 



We cheerfully recommend FOLEY'S GOLD PENS to the Trade. We have 
sold them for years. We are well acquainted with Mr. Foley; he has been remark- 
ably successful, and is now the leading Gold Pen manufacturer; a reliable man to do 
business with, and always accommodating. 

The fact that there are more of Foley's Pens used in New York than of all 
other Gold Pens combined, is the best proof of their superior quality and finish. 



Francis & Loutrei,, Stationers. 

T. W. Roe & Co., Stationers. 

CrrA.8. H. Clayton & Co., Stationers. 

C. E. Burnett, Stationer. 

E. A. Kingsland & Co., Stationers. 

Henry Anstice & Co., Stationers. 

Tuos. O'Kane, Stationer. 

B. Stradley, Stationer. 

CORLIES & Macy, Stationers. 

R. G. Hutchinson, Stationer. 

S. A. Tower & Co., Stationers. 

Slote & Janes, Stationers. 

L. H. Bigelow & Co., Stationers. 

P. C. Devlin, Stationer. 

M. B. Brown, Stationer! 

R. C. Root, Anthony & Co., Stationers. 



P. P. J. Donvan, Stationer. 

Willard Felt, Stationer. 

John H. Duyckinck, Stationer. 

F. F. Taylor & Francis, Stationers. 

P. W. DerhAM, Stationer. 

Frederick Allen, Stationer. 

S. Benedicks & Co., Stationers. 

E. W. Sackett & Bro., Stationers. 

Edward Foe, Stationer. 

Lyon & Ames, Stationers. 

Cornwell Bros. & VOgler, Stationers. 

Mitchell & Seixas, Stationers. 

Benedict Bros., Jewelers. 

Bogart & Garson, Stationers. 

Wm. H. Arthur & Co., Stationers. 

Schmidt & Curtius, Stationers. 



R. C Root, Anthony & Co., Stationers, 
62 Liberty Street, New York, May 25, 1868. 

For many years we liave been extensively engaged in stationery business witli banks, merchants 
and insurance companies, keeping a large assortment of gold pens of various makers. Finding Foley's 
Pens superseding the sale of the others, we found it to our interest a few years ago to sell them 
exclusively, and now, after a trial of seven years, we find the result perfectly satisfactory to our custom- 
ers, and with little or no trouble to ourselves. 

We consider Foley's Bank Gold Pens the best and most saleable pens in this market, particularly 
for banking and insurance purposes. As we sell a large number of gold pens, we have given much 
attention to the same. We therefore recommend both Mr. Foley and his excellent Gold Pens to the 
trade throughout the country. R. C. ROOT, ANTHONY & CO- 

Office of Adams Express Company, 
New York, December, 1866. 
I am well acquainted with the process of gold pen making, being one of the late firm of Spencer, 
Rendell & Dixon, gold pen manufacturers. I have used John Foley's Gold Pens, and consider them, 
without any exception, the best and most perfect Gold Pens now manufactured. 

HIRAM DIXON. 
We fully concur with Mr. Dixon. 

ADAMS EXPRESS COMPANY. 

JOHN HOEY, Superintendent Adams Express Company. 

ALEXANDER HOLLAND, Treasurer American Express Company. 



New Orleans, La., January, 1867. 
I have sold a large number of Foley's celebrated Gold Pens for the past seven years, and have 
found them to give universal satisfaction. T pixZWILLIAM 

Wliolesale and Retail Stationer, No. 76 Camp St. 

I concur with Mr. Fitzwilliam. Foley's Gold Pens are the best. 

JOHN W. MADDEN. Stationer and Printer. 



38 



SPECIAL TRADE NOTICE 



No. % Astor House, Broadway ■, 

New York. 

The large demand for my Diamond Pointed BANK and other GOLD PENS has induced 
certain Jobbers and Pen Makers, unable to find sale for their own goods, to exchange their Pens for 
old and damaged pens of my manufacture, which, after re-pointing and cleaning up, are sold to dealers 
as new goods. A leading stationery house was recently imposed upon in this way ; goods were pur- 
chased by them as Foley's New Pens, some of which were 20 years old, being made and dated in 
1854. No second-hand goods purchased in this way will be exchanged or taken back except as old gold. 

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE TRADE, 

FOLEY'S are the only Gold Pens which are dated the year in which they are manufactured, so 
that dealers may always rely upon receiving new goods. Those made and dated 1875 will be exchanged 
for any other goods of my manufacture unsuited to your market during the year 1876 (or one year after 
purchase), provided an order is given for a fresh assortment, — old or damaged goods excepted. 

^g° Never send goods on consignment. 



FOLEY'S SOLID GOLD PENS are the FINEST, BEST and CHEAPEST in the Market. 

FULLY WARRANTED 16i KARAT FINE GOLD AS HERE APPEARS: 

"UNITED STATES ASSAY OFFICE, 

New York, December lOth, 1866. 
GOLD BULLION DEPOSITED.— One GOLD PEN, stamped 'JOHN FOLEY'S Bank Pen. 
New York, 1866. No. lO.' Fineness of Gold, 670-1000, equal to 16£ karat fine. 

JOHN TORREY, Assayer." 

JSP Adopted by the Government of the United States, and now in use in the several Departments 
at Washington. 

FOLEY'S GOLD PENS are more durable, from the fact that they are made thick, heavy 
and elastic, and contain nearly one-third more fine Gold than that of any other Gold Pen of a like size. 
Refer to scales. 

All finished in the best manner, and every Pen carefully examined before leaving the factory. 



J®" A Large Assortment of Fine Goods, New Styles, in *©a 

Boll, Silver, Ivory, Pearl and Ruler Pencil anil Pen Cases an J Pen Hollers. 

Orders, with good references or Cash, will have immediate attention. 

U3T-STRANGERS ordering by Mail for the FIRST TIME, WITHOUT SEEING SAMPLES, may return the 

goods WITHIN TEN DAYS, IF FOUND UNSATISFACTORY, AND THE MONEY WILL BE REFUNDED. 

f3f SPECIALTY. -Splendid Goods at very Low Rates. Sole Manufacturer of 
FOLEY'S Celebrated "Bank" Gold Pens. One Trade Price, fair, honorable dealing. 
All my Pens dated the year in which they are made. 

P. S— Neat Black Walnut three foot SHOW CASES (see page 35), bevel front (with Trays to fit), 
and Lettered in Gold, will be furnished to our friends at wholesale cost, $ 1 2. SO each. It is true that 
parties offer to loan or give them away, provided a bill of goods is purchased, the prices of which are 
so fixed that the dealer actually has to pay for several show cases instead of getting one for nothing. I 
hardly need to suggest to close buyers, that if they need a Show Case they will promote their own 
best interest by purchasing the same in usual way. 



THE OLDEST AND LEADING GOLD PEN HOUSE IN THE UNITED STATES. ESTABLISHED, 1848, 



39 



IMPORTANT TO DEALERS. 

Desiring to promote the true interest of my customers and protect them from local competition 
hereafter, I shall only sell my goods to ONE STATIONER AND JEWELER IN EACH TOWN, large 
cities excepted, and in some places will give the sole agency to one house. To such Agents I will agree 
to furnish. 

First.— The Finest and Best Solid Gold Pens, Pencils and Pen Solders, at low rates. 

SECOND. — A handsome engraved Certificate of Agency, with your name and address, also with names 
of several leading Merchants and Bankers of New York, certifying that FOLEY'S celebrated Bank Gold 
Pens are the best and most perfect manufactured. 

Third. — A large Gilt Gold Pen, for a sign, three feet long, free of charge, with neat show cards. 

FOUKTII. — Send me your present old stock of other makers, and I will fix it up and put it in salable 
condition free of charge, or I may take it on account, at a fair valuation, as you may direct, after I 
report to you its value. 

Fifth. — To avoid trouble and complaints of your customers, sell only the finest and best Gold Pens, 
of one manufacture : avoid mixed stock of two or more makers. 

SixTn. — See that your Pens are dated every year, this being your only protection from old second- 
hand stocks (of those makers who refuse to date their Pens,) after being condemned as unsalable, and sent 
hack by other dealers. There are thousands of half-made old Gold Pens in the market that are constantly 
being returned to the makers for exchange, which after being cleaned up, are sent back to the same or 
some other dealer. If the Pens were dated every year this could not be done ; besides it is a great 
advantage to you to be able to determine, on looking at the date on a Pen, whether you bought or sold it 
in 1875 or in 1876. 

Seventh. — The establishment in any town or city keeping the largest assortment of the best Gold 
Pens and Pencils, always does the largest Gold Pen business. Order by mail and save expense of sending 
Agent after it. 

EiGUTn. — To make the Gold Pen busines a success, doit properly as above, and you will be satisfied 
with the result. Unless you want to injure your business, never sell a friend or customer a bad Gold Pen. 

QZW Terms 3 months, if good reference is given, or 5 per cent, discount for cash. 

ON THE CONDITIONS, 

First. — That you will agree to sell my Gold Pens exclusively. 

Second. — That you will purchase an assortment suitable for your town or city. 

Third. — That you will renew your stock as often as sales will warrant, every three or four months. 

Fourth. — That you will return once a year, all your old stock to exchange for new-dated Pens. 

Fifth. — That you will push sales, advertising your Agency in Papers, Circulars, Envelopes, &c. 

A fair compliance only with above is expected. 

To save trouble, indicate amount, and I will carefully select such an assortment as I know will suit 
your trade. No Agent appointed unless at least a $100 order is given. 

A small assortment of $100 to $500 will suit your town, or $1,000 to $2,000 for large cities. This 
amount invested in Gold Pens will pay better than a larger sum put in any other goods ; besides, it will 
add greatly to the neat appearance of the store, and make a handsome display. 

[£§" As this matter must be for our mutual interest, and to secure certificate of agency, your prompt 
answer, by mail, will oblige, 

Very respectfully yours, 

Address, 




P. O. Box 15. NEW YORK. 



40 



TO BANKS AND BANKERS. 

If your Stationer or Jeweler will not furnish FOLEY'S BANK GOLD PENS, 
send your order direct to the Manufacturer for a Box (one doz. or more,) select what 
you want and return balance, with money to pay' for what you may retain. 



Office of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co., 

New York, June 17tli, 1808. 

We have used John Foley's "Bank" Gold Pens in our office here for several years. For 
great durability and superior writing qualities, Foley's are the "best" we have ever used. 

THEODORE T. JOHNSON, 

Secretary. 



Office of Wells, Fargo & Co., 

New York, June 18th, 

We fully concur with Mr. Johnson, and desire specially to recommend Foley's excellent Gold 
Pens to our friends in California, where Mr. Foley is about to establish an Agency for the sale of 
his Goods. 

WELLS, FARGO & CO., 

By C. Goddard, Treasurer. 



FOLEY'S GOLD PENS 

Being the finest and best Pens in the market, one of them will last for years, and 
prove to be the least expensive writing instrument ever invented. 

|5ir° For sale by all first-class Stationers and Jewelers throughout the country, at 
the manufacturer's prices. By purchasing six or a dozen, ten per cent, will be deducted. 

These goods sent by mail or express on receipt of Price, and selected carefully, as 
parties may indicate, to suit any hand — stiff, limber, coarse or fine writing Pens — with 
privilege to exchange, free of charge, if returned within one month. Bent or damaged 
Pens will not be exchanged ; will always allow value for same. 

Pencil Cases and Holders sent by mail should be put up in Morocco Boxes and 
registered. Send fifty cents extra for this purpose. Pens (without Cases or Holders) 
may be sent in a letter without extra charge. To avoid injury from post mark, pin or 
paste the Pen to the lower or left-hand corner of your letter. 

USUr" Ho not warrant or recommend re-pointing Gold Pens. Cannot be made like 
or as good as new. Yet repairs will be done at the risk and to accommodate the owner. 
Charge for all repairing fifty cents, which should be sent with the Pen. 

Address, 

JOHN FOLEY, 

Gold Pen Manufacturer, 

P. O. Box 15. NEW YORK. 



AN INTERESTING HISTORY. 



GOLD PENS: 



WHO INVENTED THEM; WHEN AND WHERE. 



FOLEY'S DIAMOND POINTED 



GOLD PENS: 



HOW THEY ARE MADE; THE MACHINERY USED; THE DIFFERENT 
PROCESSES FULLY ILLUSTRATED. 



DIAMOND (IRIDIUM) POINTS 



WHAT THEY ARE, AND HOW APPLIED, 



THEIR GREAT VALUE. 



The Important Features of a Good Gold Pen. 




$18,300. Gold Value : or $300 per ounce. 

Diamond (Iridium) Points, carefully selected for 

FOLEY'S CELEBRATED "BANK" GOLD PENS. 

The finest and most vahiahle lot of Iridium in the world. Exact size of Bottle 

for description see page '>:'.. 









WWmm 

ill,: 



Bar of fine gold (exact size) as received from the United States Assay Office, ready for 

melting to manufacture 

FOLEY'S CELEBRATED "BANK" GOLD PENS. 



44 



The Pen is an instrument for writing with a fluid. Pens of 
some kind have been in use from very ancient times, and were of 
various kinds, adapted to the material upon which the written char- 
acters were to be impressed. Upon stone or metallic plates, gravers 
of steel served for writing, and such are referred to by Job, in 
speaking of an Iron Pen. For the waxen tablets of the ancients a 
metallic Stylus was employed, one end of which was sharpened for 
marking, and the other end was flattened for erasing the marks and 
smoothing the wax. It was also the practice in ancient times, as 
among the Chinese at the present day, to paint the letters with a 
fine hair pencil. 

Pens of Reed 

Were made at a very early period for the use of a fluid ink upon 
papyrus. The reed for these Pens was found in Egypt, and it is 
still used in oriental countries. The introduction of paper in Europe 
in the 14th century made necessary Pens of finer character, and 
quills of the goose and swan next came into use, and for extremely 
fine writing those of other birds, as of the crow, were found well 
adapted. A great trade grew up in these Pens, and continued for 
several centuries, chiefly in Poland and Russia; in a single year 
St. Petersburg sent to England over twenty-seven millions of quills. 
The immense consumption of epulis, and the loss of time and the 



4: 




-//•; 



FORGE FOR MELTING THE GOLD. 



In this tlie Alloyed Gold is melted. It is fine Bar Gold (see page 43), and the 
quantity of alloy added is prepared with much care, and consists of pure Copper 
and Silver. A small quantity of each is added to the fine bar of gold. Pure 
Gold being too soft, the alloy is added to make it hard and durable and of a uniform 
elasticity. The alloyed gold is put into a sand crucible and placed in a charcoal fire, 
melted to a liquid and then poured into an iron ingot which produces a bar of the 
required width and thickness according to the size of Pen it is intended for, generally 
about half inch thick, 20 inches long, 14, inches in width (see E). After the bar is 
cooled it is removed from the ingot, the rough edge is filed smooth and hammered, and 
it is then ready for the 



46 



difficulty in making and keeping them in order, finally created the 
necessity for a more durable substitute. In the year 1803 Mr. Wise, 
an Englishman, made the 

First Steel 'Pen. 

This invention was followed up by other English manufacturers, until 
about the year 1S25, when the production was largely increased, and 
the cost was greatly reduced. The manufacture was chiefly confined 
to Birmingham, England. Steel Pens of different makes and forms 
are still used in large quantities, though it is now well established 
that their use subjects persons to cramps of the muscles, and to a 
peculiar kind of paralysis of the hand and arm. 

The Gold Pen 

Has been for the past thirty years a prime necessity for those who 
write. It outwears the steel Pen, it is as easy in the hand as a 
quill, its point is everlasting, and, with proper care, the longer it is 
used the better it becomes. This paragraph is written with one of 
Foley's Bank Pens made in and dated 1852. After 23 years con- 
stant use it is as good as it was the day it was finished. Though the 
making of Gold Pens is now apparently a small thing, it has required 
the exercise of much ingenuity and no little patience and skill to 
bring it to its present state of perfection ; and if it be a matter of 



*/ 




ROLLING MILL, OR STOCK ROLLS. 



This machine rolls or stretches the bar of gold to perhaps ten times its original 
length, reducing it to a ribbon about -fa of an inch thick. Its width ought to be just 
enough to cut out two blank Pens. The machine is propelled by steam or hand power. 
It is complicated, very heavy, made and finished in the finest and most expensive 
manner, and regulated by two screws on each end. Each time the bar passes through 
the screws are turned down, until the required thickness is attained, and it is then 
ready for the 



48 



interest to the curious reader to trace the progress and persistent 
inventive skill, which has been illustrated in the Steamboat by Fitch 
and Fulton, in the Telegraph by Morse, in the Sewing Machine by 
Howe, the Power Press by Hoe, the Reaper by McCormick, and 
Hard Rubber by Goodyear, it is no less a subject of interest to know 
the gradual steps by which the knowledge of making a perfect and 
durable Gold Pen was reached. 

The Gold Pen, 

as we know it and use it to-day, was the invention of an English 

engineer, 

John Isaac Hawkins 

by name, who taking up this subject by way of experiment, followed 
it (literally) from point to point for upwards of 

Thirty Years, 
until he hit upon the material now generally adopted, called 

Iridium, 
and from this hard substance succeeded in making the so-called 

Diamond Point, 

which is the great characteristic feature of the Gold Pen. After 
making and dealing in these Pens in England for several years, Mr. 
Hawkins finally came to the United States, having sold his interest 



49 




C 



BLANK PRESS AND DIE. 



After the bar of gold is rolled into a long thin ribbon, the blank Pen " C " is cut 
from it in two rows. One long strip or ribbon will cut from five hundred to a thousand 
blanks. The cutter is a lever press — with die set. The blank as it is cut drops through 
into a drawer underneath. This blank Pen is now ready for the 



50 



in the business to an American firm, who were the first in the field 
here. 

Mr. Hawkins was horn in England about the year 1775, and 
died eight or ten years since in Bordentown, N. J., when about 90 
years of age. In the advanced yeai's of his life, he took much 
pleasure in relating his first experiments in pen making, giving many 
interesting details of his persistent efforts during several years to 
secure success. From the statements thus made, and from other 
valuable information obtained by me while in Europe in 1863, I am 
able to compile the following interesting account of this invention. 

1804 to 1834 — Early Experiments. 

Before discovering the use of Iridium to point Gold Pens, which 
he did in the year 1834, Mr. Hawkins had been for more than thirty 
years seeking a suitable material to solder to gold in so small a 
quantity as to make a fine and smooth point, that might be wiped 
clean as easily as a quill pen. He had, during these years, made 
many specimens of durable Pens, which, however, on trial proved 
deficient in some quality or other. Some of his points were made of 
rubies set in gold sockets ; but these nibs were clumsy and could not 
be wiped clean, and all the elasticity that could be given to the Pens 
was too far from the point, so that the best of them felt hard in the 




BURRING MACHINE. 



This is used to mill out a recess across the point end of the blank u D '' to receive 
the " Iridium " which is the celebrated Diamond Point of the Gold Pen. This done, 
the blank is now ready to have the Iridium set in, as is shown in the next Engraving. 



52 



hand while writing. This seemed a difficulty not to be overcome. 
He cemented diamond powder, some coarse and some fine, inside the 
points of quill Pens; but the particles of diamond were by degrees 
dragged out of the cement by the paper, and thus caused a feeling of 
roughness while writing. The quill Pen, too, was subject to be 
warped by the alternations of wet and dry air, and thus rendered 'use- 
less. After thirty years of labor and fruitless experiments, Mr. 
Hawkins suddenly received unexpected aid from a discovery made as 
if for his special use. 

Discovery of the Diamond Iridium Point, and its Application 

to Gold Pens. 

After a multitude of experiments, and about the 

Year 1833, 
Mr. Hawkins learned that the celebrated English philosopher, Dr. Wollas- 
ton, had sent some pieces of Rhodium and some particles of the native 
alloy of Osmium and Iridium, to Mr. Robinson, manufacturer of Puby 
Pens, in London, requesting him to make some Pens with each metal. 
After a while, Mr. Pobinson sent Dr. Wollaston a few Pens with points 
made of the Phodium, but sent back the Iridium, saying that it was 

Too Hard 
to be ground or wrought into figure for Pen points. This information 
stimulated fresh experiments upon this material, for if it was too hard 



.1.1 







SELECTING AND PUTTING ON THE DIAMOND POINTS. 



This is done by placing a number of blanks in a row on a strip of wood made for 
that purpose. The diamond points being carefully selected, a small pencil brush is 
dipped into liquid borax and with it the points are picked up and set into the recess. 
The workman uses a microscope to enable him to place the points properly. When 
this is done, the " blank " is sent to the next man, who fixes the points permanently : 



54 



to be ground or wrought into shape, it must be, thought Mr. Hawkins, 
exceedingly durable in use — the very object for which so much money 
and time had been expended. 

He supposed that diamond dust must abrade the Iridium, although 
it might be slowly, if he gave great speed to the grinding surface. 
With this view Mr. Hawkins fitted up a lathe capable of giving ten 
thousand revolutions a minute to the mandril ; and on this a lap of 
two inches in diameter (see page 73), the surface of which ran five thou- 
sand feet a minute, being eight hundred and thirty-three feet a second. 
He applied diamond dust with oil on the lap, and holding a bit of 
Iridium against it, found to his great delight, that it was abraded a 
little in five minutes. He then applied to the lap or grinding lathe 
a Ruby which was ground away as much in one-third of the time. 
He thus became satisfied that he had at last attained the object of 
many years research, for the Ruby was reported not to wear sensibly 
away in writing. 

Success. 

In order to save labor in forming the point, very small pieces of 
Iridium must be used. At first a pair of small pieces was soldered 
to a thin plate of silver and formed into a Pen. This Pen is still 
in existence, minus one speck of the Iridium, which after some days 
writing came off and rendered the Pen useless. 




SWEATING ON THE DIAMOND POINTS. 



A lot of blank Pens are placed in rows as above, on a flat piece of charcoal ; the 
blow pipe is then applied to the gas burner and a flame is directed steadily upon the 
point of the blank until the gold is thoroughly melted around the diamond or Iridium 
point. This is the " sweating" process (no solder being used) in making Foley's Pens. 
Hence it is that the points never come off. It requires much care and experience, for 
if the heat is applied a moment too long the whole Pen is melted and made useless. 

The point is now applied to the copper lathe (see 73) and brought to a square 
even face upon both sides and end. It is then ready for the blank rolls. 

The fine quality of Gold, over 16-karat fine, used in the manufacture of FOLEY'S 
Solid Gold Pens cannot be affected in the slightest degree by the strong acid with 
which most of the good inks are now made. Many of the Pens in the market at the 
present time are made of 10, 12 and 14-karat Gold and the points are put on with 
solder. The acid of the ink will turn the cheap Pens black and separate the points, 
which will soon fall off, and make the Pen worthless. Again, many Pens are made so 
light, being almost as thin as paper, that they soon wear out. A poorly made Gold 
Pen, no matter how cheap, is the most expensive in the end. 



56 



The Fiest Gold Pen made in 1834. 
He next soldered a pair of specks of Iridium to a plate of 
Gold, and wrought this combination into an excellent Pen, which 
had all the pleasant elasticity of the quill, and completely realized 
all his hopes on the subject, satisfying him that he had a Pen for 
his lifetime, with fair usage. 

The Fiest Pens Sold. 
He then made the third Pen of the kind, which he sold April 
26, 1834, to Mr. Vine, an eminent merchant of London, in the 
Russian trade, who soon procured several orders for the Pens from 
St. Petersburg for the use of the Czar and others. The seventh Pen 
made was selected by Mr. Christopher Kreeft, the Mecklenburg Con- 
sul in London, April, 1834, as suiting his hand, and from this sale 
many orders were also received. 

Peices of the Fiest Gold Pens. 
Mr. Hawkins sold the first seven Pens made, for twelve shil- 
lings Sterling each, without a holder, (about $3.00). The Pen then 
made was no larger than the present No. 3 size, now sold at 
$1.50 each. The price he received afforded him but a very small 
profit, as every Pen at this time had to be made almost entirely by 
hand — rounded and hammered into shape with a hammer. The price 




THE BLANK ROLLS. 



With this machine the blank Pen is rolled down or stretched to the length shown 
above. This is done by placing the blank between the two rolls. The under roll has 
a recess in which the point is protected, and the pen is passed through the rolls several 
times until the required length is attained. The blank as shown above is now ready to 
have the Springiness or Elasticity hammered into it. 



58 



continued at twelve shillings till June following, when it was raised 
to fifteen shillings, or $3.75, with a view of making the business worth 
pursuing. In December, 1834, finding the Iridium growing very scarce 
and dear, and that dealers in the Pens required a profit of thirty per 
cent., in order to introduce them and push the sales, the price was raised 
to twenty shillings, or $5.00, for the Pen only, not including Pencil 
or Pen Holder, and he found no difficulty in obtaining that price, which 
was continued during the twelve years that the business was solely in 
Mr. Hawkins' hands in England ; and his successor in London main- 
tained that price up to the time he left London, in September, 1848. 

Scarcity of Iridium. 

In the early stage of the business, namely in March, 1834, Mr. 
Hawkins says, " I procured the native alloy of Iridium from Mr. John- 
son of Hatton Garden, London, who allowed me to select from his small 
stock of a few ounces such particles as suited my purpose, at thirty 
shillings an ounce. Mr. Johnson continued to supply me at that price 
till July, 1835, when I had picked out all that would suit, and he said 
that he did not expect any more for some time. I had then only 
enough to make three dozen Pens, and knew not where to procure more. 
I, therefore, went to the British Association for the Advancement of 
Science, which met at Dublin on the 10th of August, 1835, to inquire 
of the great Chemists of the time, expected to be there assembled, 



.9 





HAMMERING TO PRODUCE THE SPRING OR ELASTICITY. 



The nib of each Pen, as shown above, is hammered on a small anvil or stake, of 
curved surface, until the required spring or elasticity is secured, so that the nib of the 
Pen will bend almost double and again return to its proper position. It is now in a 
rough and uneven shape and prepared for the second cut to give the Pen its proper 
form; by the 



60 



where I could be supplied with the precious material. On asking Dr. 
Dalton of Manchester, Dr. Thomas of Glasgow, Dr. Daubeny of Oxford, 
and many other eminent Chemists, present at the meeting, where I could 
procure the substance, each, without communicating with any of the 
others, answered that I could obtain it of Mr. Johnson, Hatton Garden, 
London. I told them that I had exhausted his stock, and had only 
enough to make three dozen Pens. They replied then, " You must go 
to South America for it," on which I said, " In that event I must charge 
five pounds per Pen," (or $25). One gentleman said, he would rather 
give ten guineas Sterling (fifty dollars), than not possess so great a 
comfort. 

" On my return from Dublin to London, stopping at Birmingham 
August 21, 1835, I found a half ounce of Iridium at a chemists, 
and purchased it for fifteen shillings, expecting to find two or three 
per cent, of particles fit for pens ; but obtained less than two per 
cent, ; and the refuse was of so little value that the useful points 
really cost me at the rate of fifty pounds per ounce (say $250). 
After making this purchase I asked the chemist where he had pro- 
cured the Iridium. He answered, ' Of Mr. Johnson, of Hatton Garden, 
London.' Shortly before I left London, a chemist told me that he 
would be glad to have some of the best quality at one hundred and 
thirty pounds sterling ($650) per ounce." The present (1875) price in 
New York for choice Iridum is from $100 to $400, and fine Iridium 



61 




SECOND CUTTING DIE AND PRESS. 

This operation takes off a narrow strip all around except at the point, and gives 
the Pen its proper even form in the flat state as above shown and it is then ready 
for the 



62 



is even now very scarce. The crystallized alloy of Osmium and Iridium 
is rarely found in greater quantity than a few grains to the ton of 
the South American platinum ; hence its scarcity. It is said that 
Russian platinum yields a greater proportion, but I have never seen 
any of the Russian equal to the South American for hardness and 
toughness. 

Iridium is the most infusible, and, when compact, one of the 
heaviest of the metals ; very hard, unmalleable and brittle, and, when 
polished, resembling platinum. It is oxidizable only at a red-heat and 
in a state of fine division, and, if pure, is not attacked by any acid. 
It takes its name from the variety of colors exhibited by a solution of 
oxide of iridium and potassia in hydrochloric acid. — Turner, Requantt. 

Irid-Osmine or Irid-Osmium. Native oxide of iridium, in which 
the iridium is more or less replaced by platinum, rhodium and ruther- 
ium, generally occurs in small irregular flattened grains, harder, heavier 
and of a rather paler steel-grey color than native platinum, with 
which it is found in the Province of Choco in South America, in 
the Ural Mountains, in the alluvial gold of California, in Australia, 
Buenos Ayres, &c. Irid-osmium is also known by the name of 
native alloy — Brands. 



(i s 



rOLtV'S 

BANK 

NEW YORK 
1875 
N° 12 




STAMPING PRESS. 



This is a screw press. The name stamp is set, and the pen, still flat, is placed on 
a hard steel plate with a guide to slide the pen into, so that every Pen is lettered 
uniformly and in exact position. Nearly one thousand Pens can be stamped in an 
hour. The Pen as above shown is now ready to have the sides raised up into shape, 
which is done in the 



64 



Transfer of the Gold Pen Manufacture to America, 1S35. 

" While at Birmingham," Mr. Hawkins says, " I concluded an 
agreement with the Rev. Charles Cleveland, brother-in-law of Mr. 
Simeon Hyde, of New York, for the sale of the business, and by 
his desire transferred all my right to his brother, Mr. Aaron Porter 
Cleveland, for the sum of three hundred pounds sterling ($1,500) 
then in hand paid, and a percentage arising from the sale of Pens. 
This transfer is dated August 22, 1S35 ; and one point in the agree- 
ment was an engagement on my part to stop in JNfew York and 
instruct a confidential workman of his nomination there, in the art 
or process of making the Pens, while on my way to Bordentown, 
JSTew Jersey, whither I contemplated then shortly after to go and 
settle. I also bound myself neither directly nor indirectly to make 
use of, nor communicate the said art or process of manufacturing 
Pens to any other person except to the said Aaron Porter Cleveland, 
and to such of his confidential assistants as he should, in writing, 
require. Immediately on signing this agreement, I disclosed the whole 
process to Mr. Cleveland, and gave him the names and addresses of 
all the dealers in materials and tools used in the work, and also of 
all the dealers in the Pens ; and a few months afterwards I turned 
over the manufactory to him, and thus released myself from a busi- 
ness which increased my care too much for comfort and health, since 



65 




RAISING UP MACHINE. 



This is a screw press of great power. With this, the Pen from its flat shape is 
bent into the round or partially cylindrical form. To insure perfect shape and per- 
manent set to the new curve, only a press of great power and dies of extreme exactness 
can be used successfully. This press is very heavy and complicated with many parts 
and very expensive fittings. The principal parts are the half round bed on which the 
flat Pen rests ; and the plunger, half round also, to fit exactly, which is struck down 
with great force by the action of the screw. This blow rounds the back and sides of 
the Pen. The plunger is brought up by an excentric and lever acting on two jaws, one 
on each side of the machine. This completes the perfect shape of the Pen as above 
shown in its well known form. 

This machine was invented by an ingenious Frenchman, John Countis, a machinist, 
while employed in Mr. Foley's factory. It is the most perfect and successful Raising 
Machine ever devised for Gold Pen making, and is capable of raising and shaping fifty 
Pens an horn - . 

The next operation is to cut or divide the point in the Point, Cutting Lathe. 



GG 



I had at the time full employment as a civil engineer and Patent 



Agent. 



" Mr. Cleveland carried on the manufacture of the Pens in London 
from January 21, 1836, to the end of May of the same year ; but, 
being anxious to go to New York and establish the business there, he 
requested me to sell the British concern for the sum he gave me for 
an unlimited extent of territory. In order, however, to have some- 
thing tangible to sell, there being no patent for the article, it was 
necessary that the manufacture be kept on and the public supplied 
with the Pens. I therefore, at the request of Mr. Cleveland, resumed 
the manufacture and sale of the Pens, under an agreement dated the 
8th day of August, 1836, by which I engaged to allow Mr. Cleveland 
two shillings and six pence sterling for each Pen sold, undertaking at 
my own expense to advertise them to a reasonable extent." 

The following interesting letter continues the story of the Gold 
Pen: 

Letter feom Aaron Porter Cleveland, 
maker of the first Gold Pen made in America : 

New Orleans, La., April 8th, 1S75. 
John Foley, Esq., New York, 

Dear Sir : — I received yours of March 23d yesterday. 

The secret and instructions for making the Gold Pen were purchased by me 



r. 7 




CUTTING THE DIAMOND POINT. 



With this Point Cutting Lathe, after the Pen is carefully adjusted in a swing 
frame, the diamond or Iridium point is brought centrally upon the edge of a thin 
copper disk, about three inches in diameter, kept in rapid motion. The edge of the 
disk is charged with fine emeiy and oil. The Iridium is soon slit into two points, and 
thus is laid the foundation for the slit of the Pen. The Pen is next placed in a pen 
holder and passed over to the 



68 



from the inventor, Mr. Hawkins, for £300, in the spring of 1836. I learned to 
make the Pen, and sold a few in London "before I left at £1 each. The gold 
was tempered by the hammer and the points put on with a blow pipe and ground 
with .sharp emery. Four Pens were all that a good workman could finish in one 
day. I returned to New York in the fall, and by Mr. Hyde's request, taught Mr. 
Levi Brown how to make the Pen in October, 1836. I made but one or two Pens 
in doing so. I had no interest in the matter except to make the purchase for 
Mr. Hyde, learn the process of making, and teach any one he might designate. 

Yours respectfully, 

AARON PORTER CLEVELAND. 



Go-ahead American Workmen. 

Mr. Cleveland in New York instructed 

Mr. Levi Brown 

in the process of making the Pens ; in his employ Mr. George Barney 
and other ingenious workmen learnt the art, and contrived several 
labor-saving tools, by which they were enabled to manufacture with 
much more expedition than the English manufacturers could with their 
first contrived tools and slow-motioned workmen. 

Mr. Barney and other workmen, from time to time, left Mr. Brown, 
and began working on their own account. These, necessarily, employed 
mechanics, the more ingenious and enterprising part of whom, in their 



69 




SLITTING LATHE. 



With this the slit is extended from the points to the full length of the nib. A 
very fine circular steel saw is used, and the skillful workman uses no guide. He simply 
places the Pen in a holder and witli both hands and an experienced eye will slit, perfect 
and straight, one hundred Pens an hour. A fine hand-saw is used to perfect the end 
of the slit, which must end exactly perpendicular to both sides. This prevents the 
slit or Pen from cracking further up, and destroying the Pen. After slitting as above, 
the Pen is ready for 



70 



turn, separated from their employers ; and thus the manufacturers of 
the Pens have become numerous. Nearly all of them are located in 
the city of New York. 

The following is a correct list of all the Gold Pen Manufacturers 



in the United States, in 1819 : 

Levi Brown, 
John Foley, 
Lovejot & Glover, 
Benedict & Barney, 
Craytey & Buel, 
Spencer," Pendell & Dixon, 
G. "W". Sheppard, 



G. & E. M. Smith, 

H. H. Houghton & Co., 

Dawson, Warren & Hyde, 

Wilmarth & Brother, 

Bard & Brother, 

Greaton & Brown, 

J. Picquet, 



Eaton, Griffiths & Co. 



Except Mr. Foley, all the above houses have retired. Some have 
gone into other business, and more than half of those above named are 
now deceased. There are, however, in the year 1875, about the same 
number of factories in operation as existed in 1849, producing, how- 
ever, nearly four times the quantity of Gold Pens. 

Mr. Hawkins pays a tribute to the energy and the singular skill 
displayed by the American makers ; and, although he was thoroughly 
English in his sympathies and proclivities, he did not hesitate to express 
his disapproval of the "jog-trot" habits of his fellow-countrymen, in 



?! 




BURNISHING THE NIBS. 



This is done with a hammer, burnisher and stake. Slitting the Pen removes more or 
less of the gold. The two edges must now be brought together again by hammering 
the outer edges of the nibs on the stake. The Pen is burnished on both sides to remove 
all unevenness ; and the nibs are set even by the fingers. 

After leaving the burnisher the Pen is ready to receive the most important part of 
its construction — from the 



72 



terms which are amusingly vehement, when he said, "I am free to con- 
fess that the New York manufacturers have advanced much beyond me 
in dispatch ; the ingenuity of the American workmen, who delight in 
' go-ahead ' having been encouraged and excited in the construction of 
several labor-saving tools, and ready methods of working, while the jog- 
trot, the sluggish, and let-well-alone feelings of the English workmen 
in my employ formed a barrier to the introduction of new tools and 
methods of working into my manufactory, when indicated by experience." 

In the 40 years which have elapsed since the introduction of the 
Gold Pen manufacture into the United States, great progress has been 
made ; active competition, with an extensive demand, has resulted in 
the production of perfect Gold Pens at less than one-half the early 
price. 

The present No. 3 Pen was the only size of Gold Pen made from 

1S34 to 1815, and was sold at following prices: 

April 26, 1831, price in London, - 12s. or $3.00. 

June, 1834, " " - 15s. or 3.75. 

December, 1S34, " " 20s. or 5.00. 

January, 1839, " " - 20s. or 5.00. 

1840, price in New York, - 5.00. 

1841, " " - .... 6.00. 
1845, " " ...... 5.00. 




GRINDING LATHE. 



This consists of one large and two or three smaller copper wheels and one 
tin slitter fitted on a steel spindle, running on true centers and finely finished. 
The tin slitter is charged with fine emery and oil. Now begins the most important 
work. After the Pen leaves the hand of the burnisher it goes at once into the hands 
of the Gkindek who should be not only an experienced workman and a good mechanic, 
but a man of intelligence, for he must understand thoroughly and practically what is 
necessary to finish a perfect Pen. The Grinder at once applies the Pen to the slitter so 
as to make the inside surfaces of the slit and points exactly flat, and set them easy 
together. Unless this is well understood by the workman and carefully done, a perfect 
writing Pen is impossible, for he will leave it with a crooked or an uneven slit. The 
great object in having the inside edges of the slit square and flat is to prevent the nibs 
from crossing or slipping by each other. 

The slit being made straight and perfect, the Pen is next fitted into the grinding 
holder, made of steel, with the diamond point alone projecting. It is then applied to 
the copper wheel (as shown in the cut which gives the exact operation), and the points 
are ground on the sides, back and end, while on the small copper wheels the face of the 
point is ground until the proper shape is secured. Here the skill and brains of the 
grinder are displayed, for if the correct shape is not given to the point it would be 
impossible to smooth and make it a good writing Pen. This is the most difficult part 
of Geld Pen making. A good workman cannot grind and smooth over two hundred 
good Pens in a week, though the men ernploj'ed by the cheap manufactories claim to do 
as many in 7 or 8 hours. There are only a few excellent Pen grinders in the trade, and 
during the great demand for Gold Pens at the commencement of the war in 1S61, and 
to 1865, the supply was not at ail equal to the demand. 

"While grinding, the Pen is carefully examined with a strong lens, and finally fitted 
into a desk-holder and applied to paper and ink and thoroughly tested. Thus every 
defect is removed by the judgment and experience of the grinder. When that is done 
the Pen goes to 



74 



1850, price in New York, - - 2.50. 

1860, « . . 2.00 

1870, " <■' _ . L50. 

1875, « . . i.5o. 

The invention and use of labor-saving machinery has produced this 
happy result — aided, of course, by a growing demand, stimulated by 
active competition. There are now in this country better Gold Pen 
makers than can be found in Europe; and indeed it is but fair to say, 
that there are more Gold Pens made in !New York in twenty days 
than are made in all other places in a whole year. 

The use of the Gold Pen in America is almost universal, for the 
reason that it is not only the best and most perfect writing instru- 
ment — but it will outwear ten times its cost in Steel Pens. Hence, 
for comfort and economy it is incomparable. Besides, many a writer 
has lost the use of his hand because of the electricity conveyed to 
the nerves of the fingers and arm by the constant action and use 
of Steel Pens. 

The noble goose quill has been superseded successfully by the 
superior Gold Pen ; the former is troublesome to most writers to 
make perfectly, soon breaks, grows blunt and " splutters. " The cor- 
rosion of Steel Pens by the acids of ink cannot be prevented. 




THE POLISHING LATHE. 

This lathe consists of four wheels, two broad ones for polishing and rougeing the 
Pen on the back, and two very narrow ones for polishing the Pen on the inside. The 
wheels are covered with cloth of felt charged with rotten stone or tripoli ; and for the 
rougeing buckskin is used. The Pen is now " nibbed" on the inside of the nibs, with 
Scotch stone. This roughens the nibs so as to hold ink and prevent it from flowing 
too freely. This done the Pen goes again to the grinder — who re-adjusts and carefully 
examines it to see if any injury was done while in the hands of Polisher. The points 
are delicately touched up; the nibs carefully adjusted so that they will not cross or lap 
over; and the Pens are then placed in strong alcohol which removes the oil and other 
polishing materials and makes the Pen perfectly clean. 

After drying them in line box-wood sawdust, the Pens are put up in boxes and 
sent to the office, where the Manufacturer personally examines every Pen thoroughly, 
not only as to its writing qualities, but every part of the work and finish is carefully 
examined with the aid of a strong lens. If the slightest imperfection is discovered 
the Pen is returned to the Factory. The perfect Pens are finally counted and weighed 
and entered upon the stock book and are then ready for sale and delivery. 



76 



Therefore the " Gold Pen " is the great necessity, and every person 
who carries one, or who keeps it ready upon his desk or table for 
instant employment, has reason to thank Mr. Hawkins for his energy 
and perseverance, Dr. Wollaston for his discovery of the diamond 
point, and the American manufacturers for their mastery of the art 
of causing the familiar little strip of Gold to spring like a Damascus 
blade, to run as smoothly as a piece of fine machinery, and to 
endure when all its rivals fade. 




COUNTING, WEIGHING AND FINAL EXAMINATION. 

In the foregoing we have given only the principal operations appertaining to Gold 
Pen making, leaving out, necessarily, many details of minor importance. 



Dear Sir: 

My Store and Office are at No. 2 Astor House, on 
Broadway , in the centre of the most important business -part of 
New York. 

I shall be pleased to have you make my office your head- 
quarters when you visit our City. Your letters may be addressed 
to my care, or to yourself, P. 0. Box 15, New York. 



(From " New York Mail.") 



GOLD PENS. 

History of their Invention and an Illus- 
trated Process of Making Them. 

This finely printed volume gives, SO far us we 
know, tin- only account of the invention and manu- 
facture of the gold pen. It is published by Mr. 
John Foley, the celebrated Gold Pen manufacturer, 
at an expense of several thousand dollars, contain- 
ing nearly five hundred engravings well executed 
and handsomely printed upon splendid plate-tinted 
paper by Mayer, Merkel & Ottmann. 

This little instrument, which is now in universal 
use, required much ingenuity and a great many 
years to bring it to perfection. Mr. Foley has here 
given us an account not only of the progress of tin' 
invention, but a detailed story, fully and finely 
illustrated, of the process by which it is made, 
which is more complicated than many people 
imagine. The book, though intended to spread a 
knowledge of Mr. Foley's business, who is now the 
best known manufacturer in his line in the world, 
has a decided literary interest, and is an addition 
to our information of the subject. It will interest 
as well as instruct every man who uses a pen. 
More than fifty finely engraved cuts are devoted to 
the varions numbers and sizes of gold pens, from 
the finely-finished, delicate No. 4 ladies pen to the 
large No. 12 bank pen. Many engravings show 
great progress in the handsome display of the 
numerous Pen and Pencil Cases and Pen Holders, 
made from fine gold, pearl, ivory, rubber and sil- 
ver, and of all sizes and styles. Then follow sev- 
eral illustrations of the process and machinery 
employed for making the pens, how the diamond 
point is put on, its value, etc. Gravers of steel 
served for writing, as referred to by Job in speak- 
ing of an iron pen. The ancients used a metallic 
stylus ; pens of reed were made at a very early 
period. The quill pen of the swan, goose and 
crow followed until the year 1803, when Mr. Wise, 
an Englishman, invented the steel pen. This 
interesting account goes on till our present time 
and shows that the first diamond (Iridium) pointed 
gold pen was the invention of another Englishman, 
John Isaac Hawkins, who made the first gold pen 
in London in 1834. This little work, like every- 
thing Mr. Foley undertakes, is a decided success. 
Having a capital of over one hundred thousand 
dollars invested in his factory and business, he can, 
no doubt, well afford to invest several thousand 
dollars to produce such a fine book, the paper alone 
for which cost upwards of two thousand dollars. 

The people of New York are indeed indebted to 
the persistent and public spirited Mr. Foley for 
his extraordinary services on behalf of the city in 
his famous contest with the corrupt ' ' Tammany 
Ring." In 1860 he was elected to the " old " Board 
of Supervisors, of which the notorious Wm. M. 



Tweed was President, Mr. Foley promised to 
bfeak up the Board or stop the great frauds upon 
tlic city and tax-payers, and made his word good, 
for his activity forced Tweed, who then controlled 
the entire city and State governments, courts and 
all, to pass an act abolishing the Board July 4, 1870. 
Mr. Foley keeping a sharp eye upon the several 
millions Of fraudulent liills, prevented Tweed from 
passing them for payment, but Tweed being 
determined to steal enough to cover the six millons 
of dollars, for which the bills were manufactured 
by Ingersoll, Garvey, and others, procured the 
passage of the bill creating the interim Board of 
Audit, consisting of himself, Mayor Hall and Con- 
troller Connolly to audit and pay all claims against 
the city. They had but one secret meeting, and 
in less than fifteen minutes ordered for payment 
six millions of fraudulent bills. 

City bonds were issued and sold at once, and the 
amount was divided by Tweed and his friends. 
Mr. Foley was the first and only man to discover 
and expose this great fraud, which he did in his 
letter which was published August 21 , 1871. (The 
facts and figures of this great swindle were fully 
set forth by Mr. Foley in his famous injunction 
suit, and are the foundation of all the legal pro- 
ceedings, both civil and criminal, now and since 
instituted by Mr. O'Conor and others against 
Tweed and his followers). 

At that time the whole nation was aroused by 
the exposures of the Tammany Ring, but neither 
the exposures of the press, nor the indignation of 
the community, seemed to have the desired effect. 
In fact the "Ring" power declared that the whole 
trouble had "blown over." The contest of the 
New York Times was about to fail The ring man- 
agers utterly ignored that paper when Mr. Foley 
organized the first public meeting August 7, 1871. 
He presided, and in the presence of an immense 
gang of Tammany roughs, passed all the resolutions 
demanding the overthrow of the Ring power and 
the resignation of Mayor Hall, Tweed, Connolly & 
Co. Then followed, Sept, 6. 1871, the most im- 
portant and successful act in the whole fight, viz. : 
John Foley's famous injunction suit by which the 
Tammany power was destroyed. The Supreme 
Court of New York granted the injunction, and a 
few days after Controller Connolly was forced to 
resign Tweed and the other thieves soon after 
followed. It is not too much to say that Mr. Foley 
was the only man in our city who was willing to 
incur the great risk and responsibility of going 
into court and declaring that Tweed & Co. were 
thieves, and maintained his position, thus saving 
to the city many millions of dollars. He was 
chairman of the committee who made up and 
brought into existence the celebrated Committee 
of Seventy. No other citizen of New York has 
been so active and persistent, giving more of his 
time and means during the crisis than any one 
else, and his efforts have always resulted in sucess 
and for the public good. 



t^= Duplicate Copies of this Book furnished for $1.00 each. 



t" «* 



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